Acer’s cheap Iconia B1 tablet heading to India, to cost a bit more than expected

The still-unannounced Acer Iconia B1 tablet has been the subject of onlinereports since the third week of December last year. Has it finally arrived? No, it has not. But if the most recent online reports on it are to be believed, then it looks like we’re going to see a launch in the next couple of weeks, at a price that will surely make most anyone’s wallet happy.

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According to a report on NDTV, the Android-powered Iconia B1 is set to arrive in India before the end of January. But instead of being called the Iconia B1, it will be called simply Iconia B. Is there an Acer tablet called the Iconia A locked up somewhere, with absolutely no hope of ever being released to market in the future? Unlikely. The letter B in the Iconia B’s name probably just stands for the word “budget” — which would make perfect sense.

When the earliest reports on the Iconia B came out, it was rumored to have a $99 price tag. Now, as the actual launch date draws near, it will reportedly sell at $149 instead. Though that isn’t exactly as cheap as what some people thought it would be, it’s still a full $50 cheaper than the Asus-manufactured Google Nexus 7, which still goes for $199 a piece. Not to mention, it’s a fairly decent price for a tablet that is expected to have the following specs: 7-inch screen @ 1024×600, 1.2GHz dual-core MediaTek CPU, 512MB RAM, 8GB storage, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi, and microSD card support. It will also ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The Iconia B was also spotted briefly on Acer’s official web site, but its page has since been taken down and only a copy of it exists via Google Cache.

On its now-defunct (for now) product page, the Acer Iconia B is touted as an “ideal companion.” As the page states:

Whether you’re waiting for the train, sitting on the bus or relaxing in the coffee shop, the Iconia B Series makes each moment better. It’s easy to hold in one hand and feels snug in your palm. About the same size as a paperback book, the 7″ screen is ideal for reading.

With a 7-inch screen and an overall weight of just 320 grams, this claim is not so hard to believe. The question now is, when is Acer going to actually release it? No one knows for sure, but expect to find it here as soon as that information finally becomes available.